Tilting at the Windmills of Transition

This book investigates spatial institutional variation and its influence on entrepreneurial activity in the Russian Federation, building on an innovative geometric clustering approach.  The book looks into how entrepreneurial entry can be explained by institutional factors at the regional level. Furthermore, it examines the relevance of understanding entrepreneurial ecosystems as systems of interrelated elements whose overall function may be impeded by individual components. Most importantly, substantial evidence is presented that higher levels of regional democratization and the liberties that come with them are essential prerequisites for higher rates of entrepreneurial entry and innovation in Russia. The author draws on a comprehensive panel dataset and an unconventional prediction model approach to account for the interrelatedness of institutions with regard to their effects on entrepreneurship. The heterogeneous transition context of the Russian Federation, which continues to have one of the lowest shares of innovative founders, provides an ideal setting for investigating the tedious efforts to tilt at the windmills of transition. Accordingly, the book is a must-read for researchers, scholars, practitioners and policymakers seeking a better understanding of spatial economics, entrepreneurship, economic development, transition economics, public administration and political studies.